The present invention relates to a fluid delivery system for infants. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a device for monitoring the amount of liquid dispensed from a baby bottle without interrupting the feeding of the infant.
As parents the world over have come to understand, feeding babies via baby bottles involves substantially more than just popping the bottle in the baby""s mouth and waiting for it to run dry. Many babies are somewhat finicky regarding their dining habits. If you are able to get the baby to take the bottle, then feeding must often be regulated in order to keep the baby interested in getting sufficient nourishment, while at the same time preserving healthy gastric function. To compound the problem, feeding habits change as the baby grows, likely due to factors such as increased digestive capacity. New parents are informed by nurses and pediatricians that when a child is a newborn she should be burped regularly, generally after every ounce. If the bottle is removed too soon, the child will not have to burp and may cry and lose interest in eating; however, if you wait too long, the child is more likely to spit up and then lose interest in eating. As the baby gets older, the burping time is delayed until after the infant has taken two to three ounces. This pattern of burping continues throughout the bottle-feeding period. Accordingly, the problem encountered by parents is that the amount of formula delivered must be monitored without interrupting the feeding.
Currently, baby bottles do not have markings on the side of the bottle to indicate, while the bottle is maintained in the feeding position, how much formula is remaining in the bottle. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improvement of the baby bottle in order to assist parents in knowing how much and how quickly their child is eating.
The present invention provides a means for monitoring the fluid level in a baby bottle, while the bottle is being maintained in the feeding position.